Patlabor mainly takes place in the headquarters of the Special Vehicles Unit, located on reclaimed land some 45 minutes away from Tokyo. The story deals mostly with the day-to-day of Division 2, comprised of a variety of characters from different backgrounds. Because of their highly unorthodox methods, Division 2 is considered a nuisance to the High Command and is a target of media derision and punditry, who label them as a huge waste of taxpayer money. In spite of this, Division 2 is a tremendously effective team with a very high turnover rate.

The series is entirely character-driven for an Anime and Manga genre that mostly deals with action-driven plots, and mostly involves the interactions between team members, their often extremely petty conflicts, and their difficulties in maintaining a logistic functioning of the unit, who has close to negligible support from the main police force. One of the characteristics that these isolating difficulties bring is the eccentricity of the characters as far as police work entails, making them the subject of mockery and disrespect... but they're too far from everything and everyone to care anyway.

Born in Tomakomai, Hokkaido in 1978, she is the pilot of the first Ingram in Unit 2 (first forward of Division 2). She loves Labors (to the point of obsession) and nicknames her Ingram "Alphonse" after her deceased pet dog and cat. A dedicated police officer, very easy going and cheerful, she never loses her cool. That is unless somebody damages her beloved Alphonse. On the field, she is backed up by her fellow teammate Asuma Shinohara.

Ace Pilot: While she's not amazingly good, she's pretty reliable which counts for a lot in the ultimate Real Robot series. She's also pretty skilled in hand to hand labor combat. During the selection tournament, she only lost to Kanuka in the finals because her battery ran out. Later on, her skill becomes well known enough that Schaft repeatedly singles her and Alphonse out to (illegally) test Super Prototype combat labors in actual combat.

Action Girl: Noa is less of a badass out of her labor than in, but she's the only one who can last more than 3 seconds against Takeo in Judo. She lasts 8. And Noah also defeated a criminal who was armed with a knife, using only her bare hands.

Ascended Fangirl: She joined the police force in the hopes of piloting a Labor because she'd spent her childhood watching MechaAnime, even if she knows a Labor is not quite like a Mazinger, a Getter or a mobile suit. Still she got pretty disappointed when she was told that no, a Labor does not fly.

Boyish Short Hair: She and Kumagami both keep their hair short, while Kanuka wears hers long and Captain Shinobu keeps hers in a ponytail while she's on the job.

Character Development: Invoked in the second movie, where she tells Asuma that she doesn't want everyone to think of her as just "that girl who loves labors".

The Confidant: By virtue of who she is and how she conducts herself, Noa is the only person that is privy to Asuma's personal life, though it takes him a while to open up

Does Not Like Guns: In the anime continuity, at least, it's explicitly called out that she really doesn't like shooting things, and she's very slow to use her revolver, always keeping it as a last resort when her martial arts moves or shock baton prove they aren't up to it. This may seem odd for a police officer, but Japanese police in general are rarely expected to actually use their guns, in contrast to Western ones.

Everyone Can See It: She forms a close bond with Asuma and they often hang out, when they're off duty. Plus, they have chemistry, so it isn't long before their squadmates start to think that their relationship goes deeper than "just friends".

First-Name Basis: Especially with Asuma, but she makes a point to call her closest friends by their first name.

Hard-Drinking Party Girl: She doesn't drink often, but when she does, she goes all the way. Comes from being a liquor store owner's daughter.

Idiot Hero: She starts out being somewhat naïve, but matures over the course of the series.

Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: Zigzagged, in the anime continuity. When she finally breaks the revolver out in combat, she's typically a crack-shot marksman, certainly far better than Ōtah. However, on the firing range, she's pretty bad at actually hitting something. It's noted in one anime episode that she doesn't really like to use her gun, hence the difference; in live combat she's working on pure instinct, auto-piloting her shots, but on a shooting range, her subconscious dislike of having to pull the trigger throws her off.

Implied Love Interest: To Asuma, for most of the series' run. Even their captain, Gotō, couldn't resist commenting on it in the manga.

She's not very good at having Asuma being actually mad at her; while he berates her all the time, it's when he stops talking to her that really gets to her. In a way, Noa basically expresses that she cannot bear the idea of him being mad.

At first, she expresses annoyance at the fact that her first duty assigned is to harvest tomatoes with Hiromi. Later, it's repeatedly shown that she came to enjoy it as one of the few private, calming things that she shares with him.

Much unlike what one might think, bubbly, optimistic Noa is not above fearing for her life and safety, as she comes to realize in her first fight against the Griffin. When the dust settles, Asuma finds her crouched into a ball inside her labor and crying due to the shock.

Slow Motion Passby: Invoked in the first episode of The Mobile Police continuity, when she and Asuma walk past each other at the Shinohara plant (seen at 8:46-9:08). It serves as Noa's first look at her soon-to-be partner and her futurehusband.

Unkempt Beauty: Noa is very pretty, as she's shown to be an item for the crew of the SVU, but she's not one for brushing her hair or putting makeup on. When she does so for the TV cameras, she raises everyone's eyebrows.

Vitriolic Best Friends: With Asuma. She's the only person in the series he allows to get close to him in that manner. It later translates into a more serious relationship.

Will They or Won't They?: She and Asuma are occasionally the talk of the division, due to their fellow officers being convinced that there's something going on between them. In one of the final episodes of The New Files, when it appears that she isn't speaking to Asumanote Noa wasn't speaking because she had a toothache and because Gotoh had pranked her in her sleep, but set Asuma up to take the blame, the rest of the division assumes they're having a spat. So Ota confronts Asuma and tells him that keeping Noa happy is his responsibility!

Gotō; is the Captain of Unit 2 and was born in the Taito Ward in Tokyo. Although he may seem very laidback and even apathetic, but is quite a strategist, and knows how to get the best out of his team even if it means tricking them. He has gained the reputation of being very sharp and rumour has it he was purposely sent out to the SVU so he wouldn't cause any trouble. He still manages to do so anyway. Gotō; has a crush on Shinobu, which is completely unrequited (poor Gotō;...). Gotō; is a heavy smoker, has athlete's foot and can often be seen wearing traditional Japanese wooden sandals around the office.

A Father to His Men: He can be manipulative, at times, and his methods are unorthodox, but he always has his division's best interest at heart.

Batman Gambit: He is a master of getting people do to what he wants by making them think it's what they want.

From the first movie:

Goto has just manipulated Shinohara into putting his career on the line to find something out for him and then stepped in to get him off with 'just' a suspension.Shinohara: The only thing I don't get is how the commander found out about it all? Gotō:(deadpan) Oh, that? I ratted you out, even the not wearing a helmet part.Shinohara: Commander!? Gotō: Look at it this way, now you have enough free time to snoop around for me some more.

Big Good: The top brass may not care for him, but they still defer to him during an impending crisis. So does the JGSDF, Detective Matsui, and his fellow captain, Shinobu, all of whom have learned to rely on Gotō's decision making ability, and with good reason. He's a genius level tactician, having studied military strategy at the academy. He's also keenly observant and tends to pick up on things before others do, and notices details others might overlook. Shaft Enterprises and his old mentor, Kai, know this better than anyone.

The Con Within A Con: In the first movie, he suspected Hoba may have tampered with SHI's new HOS system, so he cons Asuma into investigating it, to make certain. Except Gotō had already confirmed it, through Shige. The point of conning Asuma was to get him suspended, so he'd be free to look into the Babylon Project and determine whether it factored into Hoba's plans. It works, though Asuma is justifiably upset over being used.

Shinobu is the only person that can make Gotō do stuff he doesn't want to do. He won't even bend down to his bosses... but Shinobu, he better not get her angry!

As Gotō tells Agent Arakawa in the second film, he's has always been in the side of the law even when he has to bypass the red tape to achieve it; Arakawa in comparison was trying to double-cross both Gotō and Tsuge, and reap the benefits from the aftermath.

Obfuscating Stupidity: Don't ever fool yourself and think you're getting anything by him, without him noticing. Asuma and the others get a not so subtle reminder, when they return from an undercover rescue operation and find he followed them. Gotō even brought fries!

Reassigned to Antarctica: SVU's headquarters is located on reclaimed land that's practically in the middle of nowhere, which why the higher ups have Gotō stationed there, where he can't ruffle any feathers. So they think....

Troll: Some of the stunts he pulls to discipline his squad can be described as such. Kanuka calls him out on it on more than one occasion. So does Shinobu.

Shinobu:(impressed) That was brave of you to face that Labor the way you did. Weren't you scared? Gotō:(deadpan) No. Sakaki told me it was harmless. Shinobi:(disillusioned) Wha- So THAT'S why you were acting so bravely? Gotō:(deadpan) Pretty much. Shinobu:(annoyed) I give up. So what'll your adoring public say, when they find out?Gotō:(smirks at door) I wonder....? Asuma, Noa, Kanuka, Ōtah, Shinshi, and Hiromi:(eavesdropping outside door)THAT CHEAT!

Asuma was born in Maebashi in Gunma Prefecture and is 21 years old at the start of the series. Asuma is the son of the owner of Shinohara Heavy Industries, the makers of the Ingram. So why is he a public servant? Apparently his father forced him into being one. A member of Unit 2, he provides backupnote really more like field command, issuing directions from the ground for Noa's Ingram and is her partner. He can be quite short tempered and sometimes gives the impression he would rather be somewhere else. Still he is quite a competent police officer.

Agent Mulder: If it involves anything supernatural, or paranormal, he's all for it.

Awesomeness by Analysis: Asuma is familiar with most Labor models, both civilian those used by the police/military alike, since he's the son of the founder of SHI and has been exposed to the labor industry from a young age.

First-Name Basis: Mutually with Noa, whereas everyone else calls him by his last name.

Foil: To Ōtah, due to their conflicting personalities. Asuma alternates between trying to talk sense into him and either griping, or snarking, whenever Ōtah's trigger-happy tendencies creates problems for their division.

Hand Behind Head: Asuma's typical posture while chatting with Noa, usually with both hands clasped behind his head.

Honest Advisor: Which is the reason Noa trusts him and doesn't mind it much when he snarks on her. It's when he doesn't that she starts to get worried.

Hot-Blooded: Though not as off-the-rails as Ōtah, Shinohara can be extremely careless when he's pissed. This gets him in hot water in the first movie, as he goes ballistic against the SVU's commander when he's suspended for going AWOL.

Maybe Ever After: With Noa at the end of The Mobile Police/New Files continuity, though The Next Generation live action continuity ultimately subverts it by confirming they eventually did.

Mission Control: Though his position is "backup" for unit 01, his actual job is to cover Noa's blindspotsnote the Labors have a limited field of vision, even with the on-board monitors and provide intel on enemy units. Asuma is also a capable strategist and always has Noa's safety in mind, so she trusts his judgement implicitly.

Mr. Exposition: As previously noted, Asuma's extensive knowledge of Labors makes him a natural for providing his teammates and the audience with intel on enemy units. Which was highlighted by the tunnel scene near the climax of Patlabor: The Movie 2, where provides intel on the Ixtls and devised a strategy to systematically disable them.

Non-Action Guy / Non-Action Snarker: As Noa's "backup", his expected role is to sit in the command car behind Noa and instruct her on how to do her job. He fulfils a vital role all the same, though, and is honestly happier about it; he's not particularly thrilled at the idea of piloting Labors, and he knows that Noa is just crazy about it.

Oedipus Complex: Relations between him and his father are so strained, that Asuma usually spends his vacations at the squad's barracks, rather than visiting home, like his teammates.

In the final episode of The New Files, he meets his father while visiting his older brother's grave, and speaks with him briefy. The only words we're allowed to hear, is when Asuma parts with his father, by telling him to take better care of himself; which suggests they may have begun to reconcile their differences.

Only Sane Man: Asuma shares this spot with Kanuka and, later, Kumagami, as they're the most sensible, levelheaded members of the team. Which often makes him a foil for Ōtah.

You Don't Want to Know: Asuma is very serious when it comes to his personal life and his relationship with his father, almost creating a rift between him and Noa when she pries on him. It's revealed in the final episode of the OVA that his quarrel with his father stems from his brother's suicide, considering that the fault lied in his father's relentless hounding; small wonder Asuma doesn't want to touch the subject when it's something that brings him so much pain.

Ōtah is the 2nd forward of Division 2. He was born in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture and is 26 at the beginning of the series. He is a complete gun maniac and will almost always try to use force over all other options when solving a dispute. Though he is reckless and violent, he is an integral part of the team, and actually manages to end situations quicker than Noa. On the field, he is backed up by his fellow teammate Kanuka Clancy at first, and later by Takeo Kumagami.

The Big Guy: He may be short, but he's got a pretty solid build and the power that comes with it.

Chekhov's Gunman: A literal one in the manga. He was one of the anti-riot mobile unit officers who tried to break ranks in order to board one of the new Ingram Labors. He's later seen with Asuma when a police van drops them off at SVU2 Headquarters.

Destructive Savior: Ōtah is responsible for something like 90% of the collateral damage that Division 2 inflicts, meaning he's pretty much singlehandedly the major cause behind their negative public reception.

Determinator: When his labor's arm gets dismembered in the last episode, he shugs it off, saying he's used to it, and resumes chasing after the culprit.

In fact, given that Japanese society has incredibly strict gun control laws, it's a very viable possibility that he actually only joined the police to be able to use a gun, choosing the Special Vehicles unit because it'd give him (hopefully) plenty of opportunities to shoot off the biggest guns in the police's arsenal.

He will not hesitate coming into the line of fire and his behavior towards his teammates reflects that this is the standard he expects of them too;

Though he's usually chided for provoking the most material damage, Ōtah's main concern is to protect the civilian population, demonstrating this to their insurance inspector as an expected risk he has to take to perform optimally in the first place.

Hot-Blooded: OH YES. Deconstructed in the second movie's climax, where he endangers the plan by acting like a cartoon character instead of a rational human being.

Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: Zigzagged. Usually, Ōtah is an awful shot, which combined with his willingness to pull out a gun and start blasting, and to then keep firing until he blows through his ammo reserves, means he causes the bulk of the collateral damage that Division 2 gets blamed for. However, on the firing range, he's a pretty good shot — much better than Noa. It's explained that the difference is that, in combat, he's trying to hit a moving target (itself a challenge) whilst hyped up on adrenaline and so unable to focus; when he can calm down and pick his shot, he's much better. Also, in his favor, as wild as his shots fly, he's never actually hurt a person.

Large Ham: He has two settings: indoors (which he uses at about 10% of the time), and air-raid siren (which is about 90%)

More Dakka: His tactic of choice. Ōtah runs through ammo like water through fire hoses.

Not Good with People: Ōtah is good at neither receiving praise nor getting criticized. The problem lies in the fact that he takes everything too seriously and he takes a single-minded (and most of the times wrong) approach towards his everyday situations. It's fair to point out that he does have sporadic instances of actually being right, but they are really, really sparse.

Testosterone Poisoning: He strives for conveying an air of manly, manly manliness on his everyday. It has the opposite effect on people, who find him considerably obnoxious as a result.

Kanuka is a Police Officer on loan from the New York Police Department and was born in Oahu, Hawaii. She is 21 at the beginning of the series. She is half Japanese, half Irish-American. She is a competent officer who does everything by the book and is often disgusted by the tactics used by the SVU. In Division 2 she acts as Ōta's backup. Though among the SVU there is a rumour that the NYPD sent her to them because she was a problem officer.

The Ace: Blackbelt in Judo, expert Labor pilot, and in disarming bombs, graduated with honors from MIT, you get the idea.

Brother Chuck: She disappears without comment in the second and third movies. Some fans assume she died at the climax of the first filmnote which is weird, since you can see her being helped up to her feet at the end, but she probably just returned to the NYPD. (Given the tensions flaring up during the second movie, she may simply not have been able to get to Tokyo in time.)

But Not Too Foreign: Her grandmother was a Japanese immigrant, who married an American pilot stationed in Japan during the Korean War.

Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Her main task in the unit is to keep Ōtah in reins. As a matter of fact, Ōtah will protest at everyone that comes his way except Kanuka.

Cool Car: In the series, she drives a Porsche 911 in episodes 18 and 23 and a blue one in episode 44.

Fair Cop: All of the SVU's members are at least not ugly, but Kanuka is downright beautiful.

Lady of War: Both in and out of her mecha. She's a crack shot and master of both judo and kendo.

Kanuka's combat skills, in and out of her labor are awe inspiring. The woman took down a courtyard of Yakuza, with a wooden sword while clad in a kimono. And, in the first film, Gotō specifically called her in to assist SVU2 with the raid on the Ark.

Customs Agent: Are you here to see the sights? Kanuka: No. Combat.

Last Lousy Point: Kanuka is a model policewoman, fighter, marksman and a crack Labor pilot, but she is not much of a team player. She doesn't simmer down until she comes to realize that the SVU2 is not the place to show off.

Mukoku Seki: Notably averted. It's ironic that the show's only American also looks the most stereotypically Asian (though she is at least half-Japanese).

Shinshi is the driver for the second carrier, the transporter for Ōtah's Labor. He was born in Fujieda, Shizuoka Prefecture and is 29 at the start of the series. Originally Ōta's backup until Kanuka replaced him, he is a quite introverted man, but can become surprisingly violent if provoked enough. He is also the rather henpecked husband of Tamiko, who is rather possessive of him. Shinshi is the only married member of the team, which occasionally bites him in the ass.

A Day in the Limelight: He really only gets one episode where he's the focus, when a business takes note of his computer skills and tries to lure him away from the SVU.

Brilliant, but Lazy: Shinshi is a very intelligent man who is very content at his job, but his wife certainly isn't.

Dismotivation: Shinshi is a largely unambitious guy, which is one of the most frequent reason he gets flak from his wife, who considers that he isn't pursuing his full potential. The thing is that Shinshi is true police.

Happily Married: His wife Tamiko gives him a really hard time, but at the end of the day, they truly love each other.

Henpecked Husband: He is well and truly whipped. But he's deeply in love with Tamiko all the same.

The Smart Guy: He's a wiz with computers, he was even offered a management position at a high profile computer company.

Those Two Guys: Since their job is to just drive the Patlabors to crime scenes, he and Hiromi are often relegated to the sidelines. Additionally, they were introduced as a pair in the manga continuity.

Hiromi is the quiet giant amongst the members of the SVU, in fact the tallest member of the team, at two metres tall. He was born on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, and is 23 at the start of the series. Even though he looks rather intimidating, he is quite gentle in action and words. He tends the tomatoes in the greenhouse and looks after the henhouse at the SVU in his spare time. These duties actually provide a substantial amount food for the officers and crew. His main duty in Division 2 is driving the first Labor carrier for Noa.

Flat Character: He's a nice guy and... well, that's pretty much it. In the anime, this is used for a gag; when Division 2 snoops on Kanuka's drafted report of her time in Division 2, Hiromi's entry amounts to several lines of ellipses and a simple "no data available" comment.

Friendly Sniper: Played with in both movies when SVU2 is deployed on the scene to provide anti-Labor support via anti-material sniper rifles.

Gentle Giant: There are two reasons why Hiromi wasn't selected to pilot a labor - he's too gentle to actually attack the enemy, and he doesn't fit in the cockpit.

Last of His Kind: He is the only member of SVU Division 2 that remains under the command of Captain Gotō in the second movie.

Kumagami is Ōtah's backup. She is Kanuka's replacement after she returns to New York. She was top of her class, and is an exceptional police officer. She was courted by several police agencies, but eventually chose the SVU because of the challenge. Kumagami seems to be very level headed and nothing seems to faze her, though the antics of her workmates sometimes annoys her. She has an irrational fear of the supernatural, especially ghosts as her father was interested in the topic and she heard many ghost stories when she was a child.

As a Lieutenant, Kumagami is the highest-ranked field member of Division 2, reporting directly to the captains Gotō and Nagumo. Several episodes deal with her account of the day's events as she files it to the official reports. Though initially a stickler to the rules, Kumagami usually vouches for the general wellness of the unit as a whole and acts as a focal voice for their needs.

Agent Scully: She'll adamantly denounce the existence of anything supernatural, until it's staring her in the face; especially ghosts, because she was left traumatized by her father's ghost stories, when she was a child.

Bifauxnen: Kumagami is short, has a boyish haircut, and looks rather tomboyish (but still feminine). She's also an expert at judo.

Consummate Professional: She is Gotō's second-in-command and a model policewoman. She came to SVU 2 for a challenge and is offended at the fact that Noa is aware of the unit's lingering reputation as if she weren't proud of her own work; she does come to understand that the unit performs excellently in spite of said infamy and that the "off" elements do work out as they should, making Kumagami more welcome into the unit.

Only Sane Man: She shares this spot with Asuma, as they're the two most levelheaded and sensible members of the division; excluding their captains.

Replacement Sixth Ranger: In her debut episode, she has trouble fitting in because her teammates couldn't believe anyone with her credentials would willingly sign up for duty with the SVU.

The Rival: To Kanuka when they briefly meet. They are very professional about it initially and express their admiration for each other. Later in The New Files, they compete fiercely to measure each other... while on a supposedly relaxing getaway.

Tomboy with a Girly Streak: She keeps her hair cut short and excels in Judo. In fact, no one in division 2 has been able to beat her (including Ota). But she dresses femininely whenever she's off-duty and is afraid of dark places, ghosts, and especially rats. She's even prone to fainting when sufficiently frightened.

Jack-of-All-Stats: The Ingram is noted as being able to theoretically match any human movement. It's noted that while Ohta has custom-tuned Machine 2 for raw strength, Alphonse is more agile and flexible.

Lawman Baton: Ingrams are equipped with electromagnetic batons sheathed in their left forearms, capable of instantly disabling the machinery that drives Labors.

Legacy Character: It is actually the third Alphonse that Noa has named. The first was a dog she grew up with as a child, and the second was a cat.

Lightning Bruiser: As a police Labor, it is by necessity designed to be stronger, tougher and faster than ordinary construction Labors.

Mundane Utility: Episode 6 of the anime opens with Noa and Alphonse doing cat's cradles using the feedback gloves.

Shinobu is the Captain of Division 1 and was born in in Setagaya Ward in Tokyo. She is a professional, competent police officer. Basically the exact opposite of Captain Gotō. She always keeps her mind on the job and never loses her cool. Often she talks back to her superiors when she disagrees with an order, and this is probably why she remains at the SVU rather being promoted to another job more worthy of her skills. She is often slightly jealous of Division 2's successes and the equipment they get, but she never really lets on.

Christmas Cake: Shinobu's in her mid-late 20's and is a police captain, so her mother worries about her chances of marriage. While Shinobu appreciates her concern, she's dedicated to her career and appears to be in no hurry to settle down. Though given the way she and her fellow captain, Gotō, relate to each other, you'd think she already was.

Fair Cop: Though she usually dresses very conservatively (she is a police captain, after all), when dressed casually she's very pretty.

Like an Old Married Couple: The way she and Gotō relate to each other, they could easily be mistaken for a married couple. She knows him like a book, especially when he's trying to charm her. Likewise, he knows when to tease, and when not to push his luck. This is best seen in both "The SVU's Longest Day" and the final episode of the OVA continuity.

In The New Files continuity, this is best seen in the Two in Karuizawa episode which focuses exclusively on them (covered extensively on the heartwarming moments page).

May–December Romance: In the second film, it's revealed that Shinobu once had an affair with her instructor while she was a cadet at the Tsuge Institute. She was 19 at that time, while Tsuge was said to be in his early 30's.

It's implied that this is one of the reasons she was sent to command SVU Division 1 (which is practically a punishment), in spite of being one of the most competent police members in Tokyo.

The Mistress: She fell for Tsuge, despite knowing he was married, which was both a breach of police protocol and ethics, which created a scandal. Though it isn't said whether his wife ever got wind of the fact he was cheating on her with one of his students.

My Greatest Failure: Her affair with Tsuge is the only thing that marred her otherwise spotless Police career; though she climbed out of the ditch, her colleagues argue that the setback she was put into would have been insurmountable for any other person.

New Old Flame: It isn't until the second film that we find out about her past relationship with Tsuge. Their history together becomes a subplot, as it reveals the reason she settled for a position with the SVU and creates part of the film's tension, since he leads the terrorist group that's laying siege to Tokyo.

Reasonable Authority Figure: Alongside Gotō in the SVU2. She's a stickler for proper procedure and carries out her duties without fail, but if she has reason to question an order, or find your motives suspect, she won't hesitate to say so.

Reassignment Backfire: She was sent to command SVU Division 1 due to her affair with Tsuge, as this was meant to be a punishment and to simmer the waters; by the second film, she is one of the leading proponents of labor use in police work with nationwide and international fame, earning the SVU a significant rise in status.

Single-Target Sexuality: The ending of the second movie makes clear that Shinobu still loves Tsuge deeply despite the fact she has to arrest him and she always will. After being with a man whose passion and charisma nearly brought an entire nation to its knees, it's unlikely any other man will ever measure up for her.

Tsutomu Gomioka is the first forward in Division 1 of the SVU. He is a highly competent officer and Labor pilot. At the end of the series he becomes captain of the newly-formed Division 3.

Bit Character/Flat Character: Gomioka is mainly used in the story to illustrate how obsolete SVU1's equipment is compared to division 2. Most of his interactions deal with his annoyance at these shortcomings and how he wants Nagumo to push for better Labors. Other than that, he doesn't have a mayor development.

Colonel Makepeace: Gomioka is a highly competent pilot and a consummate professional on his own in spite of Division 1's dated equipment.

Informed Ability: He is friendly towards the members of Division 2 and they have expressed their admiration for his professionalism and work ethic. They also commend him as an excellent pilot.

The Reliable One: One of the reasons the SVU1 is not scrapped for good is due to his efforts. As a matter of fact, he spends most of the series being groomed for command, which he finally gets after a couple of false starts.

Respected by the Respected: In a joint mission, Gomioka recognizes why Division 2 is better garrisoned than 1, as they are willing to keep fighting even when their Labors are falling to pieces (as Ōtah shows him).

Took a Level in Badass: When Division 1 finally is provided with brand-new Labors, he thoroughly shows his chops by neutralizing a rogue Labor in a matter of seconds.

Sakaki is the head mechanic of the SVU. His training was in mechanics, and he doesn't really understand the electronics and computers in the Laborsnote he struggles with software in the animated continuities, but has apparently gotten used to them in the manga. Though he's supposedly only the head mechanic, most of his job is to order the other staff around, primarily the maintenance crew but sometimes the members of Division 2. Easily the most respected member of Special Vehicles 2, he commands fear, respect, admiration, and loyalty from all who know him.

The Lancer: To Gotō in the second movie. As a matter of fact, he is the one that reassembles SVU2 for Gotō in order to retake control of Tokyo.

Mentor: To a lot of people, from the Special Vehicles 2 maintenance crew to the higher-ups at the MPD, Sakaki is the God of Maintenance. On a day-to-day basis, though, he's grooming Shige to take his place.

Mentor Archetype: He is one in particular to Shige, and he shows a fondness for lending sage advice to Noa.

Mr. Fixit: He's 62 - been doing his job since machines were invented. If he can't fix it, it ain't broke! (...Or Hoba did something to the software.)

Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!: He once prohibited pornographic material to be smuggled or kept in the headquarters and left Shige and his crew to fend off for themselves; the situation devolved into an ideological and political clusterfuck within the crew, with rampant betrayals and backstabbing. The fighting gets so out of control that he has to intervene and turn a blind eye to the pornography so that the unit can at least function.

Shigeo, or just plain Shige, is second in command of the maintenance crew at Special Vehicles 2. He is a man truly dedicated to his work, though sometimes he can go overboard. He is a proud member of the SVU, and makes sure the Labors work perfectly. He takes over from Sakaki when he retires (though is more than happy to defer to him if a serious need arises).

Gadgeteer Genius: Understands Labors from the ground up as well as or better than anyone - oh, and he built the Riot Gun Division 2 occasionally uses.

Hot-Blooded: To a point that it interferes with his job. Hot blood seems to be a trait common to the whole mechanic team, in fact.

Large Ham: Unlike Ōta, he's not "on" all the time, but when he is, he doesn't go halfway. (Shigeru Chiba is actually really good at this kind of role - it's especially clear during Shige's Mini-Pato episode.)

The Smart Guy: It's not too obvious, given how he normally acts, but Shige not upgrading the AV-98s to the Hyper OS due to mistrusting it and, more impressively, creating a working computer model of vibration effects of the entire Tokyo Bay area drives the third act of the first movie. (He apparently also understands English pretty well, translating Kanuka's notes on Division 2 more quickly than Shinshi.)

Supporting Characters

A detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Matsui once asked Gotō for his help in strange case, but now is often called upon by Captain Gotō for help on crimes which involve specialist investigation.

Foil: To Shinobu. He is Gotō's enabler in snooping around and ruffling feathers where Shinobu keeps Gotō in reins.

Friend on the Force: Though they're both police, Matsui is Gotō's insider on police investigations.

Not So Above It All: He is a very dignified man who is very effective at following paper trails and manhunting, but when it comes to infiltration in the second movie he becomes a Clueless Detective.

Undying Loyalty: He is quick to defend the SVU and Captain Gotō as a force to be reckoned with.

Tamiko is the overbearing but loving wife of Mikiyasu Shinshi. She seems like the perfect housewife, but under her sweetness and light persona she can be a she-demon. Somewhat possessive of her husband, she can turn frighteningly mean if she thinks he has been hard done by. Strangely Tamiko and Mikiyasu seem made for each other.

Affectionate Nickname: Tamiko is the only person in the series that calls her husband "Miki", where everyone else calls him Shinshi.

Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: She's incredibly proud of her husband and will defend him from anything anyone throws at him, no matter what he does (and as long as he keeps her on the loop); he will not tolerate anyone badmouthing Tamiko or showing even the tiniest bit of aggression towards her.

Berserk Button: She will not stand anyone belittling her husband; she also does not like when he makes decisions without talking with her.

Clingy Jealous Girl: She hates it when her husband spends more time with his friends than with her.

Gender Flip: Played for laughs; she's pretty much a girl version of Ōtah.

Large Ham: Where her husband is very reserved and quiet, Tamiko is unbearably loud.

Pitbull Dates Puppy: An inverted case; she's the pitbull of the relationship, her husband's the puppy.

Surprise Pregnancy/Hand on Womb: When her husband goes off to quell the unrest in Patlabor Movie 2, she begs him not to go, because of her carrying his second child.

Jitsuyama

Voiced by: Mahito Tsujimura (JP)

Jitsuyama is head of the Shinohara Labor factory. His career in mechanics began when he started a business up with Asuma's father. To Asuma he is kind of like a substitute father and he often comes to him when he needs advice concerning Labors.

Momoko Sakurayama is a tabloid television journalist who always seems to be there at the right time to get that scoop. After following the SVU to get several scoops, she later helps them in their Griffin Labor case.

Hot Scoop: If there's trouble and it's news, she'll be there in the middle of it. Not surprisingly, this almost gets her killed. See directly below.

Large Ham: Seen during her farewell speech to her devoted fans when she thought she was going to be crushed to death by a Labor. The pilot was a disgruntled patient who thought he was terminally ill.

Not So Above It All: She might like to hammer on the SVU2, but she's more than willing to help them if they ask her. She even prioritizes fishing out the arms dealers over getting footage from the Labor battle going on in front of them.

An intelligence officer assigned with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force chief of staff's office assisting Gotō and Shinobu in locating and apprehending the terrorist Yukihito Tsuge into custody. Arakawa assists the SVU by providing pictures of Tsuge's assets via American military spy satellites and secretly meeting up with Gotō to pass on him intelligence obtained on Tsuge, earning Shinobu's ire due to her suspicions about him and his intentions.

Beware the Silly Ones: Much to Arakawa's dismay, Gotō didn't turn out nearly as roguish towards the police as he thought he would be.

Double Reverse Quadruple Agent: He's supposedly working for the government, while supposedly working with Tsuge, while supposedly collaborating with Gotō, while actually trying to play everyone for a fool to remain scot-free.

Fish Eyes: One of his eyes doesn't move presumably because of a marked exotropic strabismus (the eye points outwards). It's not known whether he can indeed see through that eye.

Friendly Enemy: He and Gotō really enjoy talking to each other, only that Gotō at the very least knew where he himself was standing; that is, on the side of the law.

Heel–Face Turn: He turned against Tsuge, although the motive was because of differences between the two men.

Hidden Agenda Villain: He tried to play Tsuge and Gotō at the same time. He deliberately allowed Tsuge to commit his terrorist acts when he was already in contact with Gotō so that he could wash his hands off his own involvement. Gotō finds him out when Arakawa reaches too far and makes it too obvious that he is implicated.

Gotō finds him out because he is a little too prompt and too well informed of all the stuff that happens in the movie. He makes a point of contacting Gotō every time something happens, as to disassociate himself from his involvement; he was also markedly eager to share information he's not supposed to be sharing, thinking that Gotō is rogue against the police as he is "rogue" towards the JGSDF.

As discussed in Impostor Forgot One Detail, he didn't chase after Tsuge when he should have, meaning that he has a vested interest in not having Tsuge in shackles.

He points out to Gotō and Shinobu that the jet plane's outline shown in the TV broadcast does not match the outline obtained from a karaoke video that was being filmed at the time of the attack. This, according to him, was done with the intention of creating tension between the JGSDF and the American Air Force by throwing them into a blame game and possibly escalating the whole situation into an armed conflict.

When Shinobu rendezvous with Tsuge at the canals, Gotō immediately realizes that Arakawa scares off Tsuge and doesn't chase him when the agent supposedly had both the means and the motive. This makes Gotō suspect that Arakawa is in coattails with Tsuge

Manipulative Bastard: He basically lured in Gotō in order to make himself look innocent from his involvement with Tsuge, while still feeding Tsuge with the police's movements. The problem is that he overplayed his hand with Gotō, making too obvious that he was dirty.

Mouth of Sauron: Arakawa's ideological talks with Gotō show a glimpse of Tsuge's intentions regarding the terrorist attacks, defining that Tsuge wants to show how phony is the sense of security the Japanese have and how precarious it actually is. Arakawa's eagerness to express his pessimistic point of view regarding law enforcement and protection of the public is one of the things that tips off Gotō about his involvement in Tsuge's terrorist plots.

The Un-Smile: He is always grinning; it's not intentional, as that is the shape of his face.

Fuwa is an old friend of Captain Nagumo, and is her contact within the JGSDF. She's occasionally done favors for Nagumo and Gotō, and has worked with SVU2 on several occasions. She pilots the ARL-99 Helldiver, a military paratrooper labor derived from the AV-98 Ingram.

Meganekko: Her defining feature. She even sports the glasses when she's piloting.

Not So Above It All: When a friend in the military tells you that you're being uptight and apprehensive, she means it, as Nagumo realizes.

One Degree of Separation: She became acquainted with the SVU2 team because of her unit's mutual connection with Shinohara Industries. Later, it's revealed that she's a close friend of Captain Nagumo of SVU1

Antagonists

A very mysterious man working at Schaft Japan, in charge of the Griffin project. He seems to smile all the time and gives off the impression he's happy-go-lucky, but in fact he is very calculating, eccentric and cunning, and will stop at nothing to get the desired result. Utsumi is an alias; his real name is Richard Wong and he is from the Hong Kong division of Schaft.

The Mole: He is one in Schaft Japan for Schaft Hong Kong. It's heavily implied that he is working for even bigger bosses than the ones running the Japanese section.

Old Flame Fizzle: In The New Files, it's revealed that he and Kumagami were an item. It doesn't work out, as seen in the troll entry below.

Scary Shiny Glasses: It doesn't have the usual effect, in his case. It's just there to remind you that he's the bad guy.

Troll: Toward his boss at Schaft and his ex: Kumagami! When she confronts him in The New Case Files, he tells her he intends to turn himself in, allegedly because of his feelings for her. It was a lie, naturally. The moment she drops her guard, he scoops her up and literally dumps her... in a laundry basket, then makes his escape!

Undying Loyalty: Wong absolutely refused to abandon Bado, even at the insistence of his partner, Kurosaki; despite jeopardising his own chances at escape.

Finally subverted in the second OVA, where after repeated attempts to reason with Bado, he cuts his losses and bails on him.

Bado is a very young Indian boy (about 12 years old) who is the pilot of the experimental Griffin Labor. A very competitive young man, his main aim seems to be beating Noa and her Patlabor rather than actually testing the Griffin. He can be very short tempered, and thinks his work for Schaft is just a game rather than actual work.

Bratty Half-Pint: He behaves this way when he's bored or doesn't get what he wants. Otherwise, he's really not that bad.

Kid Looks Like a Girl: Exactly what it says. Bado can easily pass for a girl even without a disguise. Wong even uses this to their advantage when he and Bado make their escape at the end of the Griffon Arc.

Improbable Age: The kid's an ace Labor pilot at age 12. More importantly, he can also survive the physical effects merely operating the Griffin would have on most anyone else.

Pride Before a Fall: Bado refused to back down or listen to reason, despite being out-numbered and low on power, all because he didn't want to give Noa the satisfaction of making him withdraw a second time. She invokes her 'Big Sister' rights and put's him in his place, by body slamming him and his Humongous Mecha on the tarmac!

The Rival: He has a rivalry with Noa that is deeply rooted in his respect and admiration for her.

Undying Loyalty: Bado may complain about a lot of things, but he knows that, when it comes down to it, Wong's got his back. So he gives him the same in return.

Finally subverted in The New Files, where Wong cuts his losses and ditches Bado, who refused to withdraw from his rematch with Noa.

A software programmer who worked for Shinohara Heavy Industries, Hoba designed a revolutionary new operating system that was quickly implemented in almost every labor in the Tokyo area. After completing his work, Hoba commits suicide, and shortly later it becomes apparent that his new OS contains a virus that causes labors to go berserk—which due to their ubiquity, threatens the entire Tokyo metropolitan area.

As the Good Book Says...: He leaves numerous biblical quotes for the investigators to find, and his name ("E. Hoba") is the Japanese pronunciation of "Jehova" (which, being a corruption of the original pronunciation Yahweh, delights him).

Evil Genius: So much so, that it took three other geniuses combined (Gotō, Asuma, and Shige) to stop his plans from succeeding.

Meaningful Name: Invoked by Gotō. E. Hoba is a close homonym of Jehova, fitting for a man that uses the holy scripture in his plot.

My Death Is Only The Beginning/Thanatos Gambit: Kills himself after setting things up, but before the chaos begins. A slight variation in that the plan (itself not really clear, as Hoba left very little evidence of it besides the virus and biblical quotes) would have advanced with or without him, but him being dead means that the police can't easily piece things together, and certainly can't whip up an anti-virus in time. Gotō suspects he killed himself in complete confidence that it would succeed.

Secret Test of Character: Speculated by some fans.He attached his employee badge to his pet raven to set off a Never Found the Body-paranoia, and give his pursuers a Secret Test of Character. Division 2 is only able to prevent the destruction of Tokyo because they decide to try and save Hoba when they think he's alive. They wouldn't have made it to the backup-system in time if they had decided to collapse the Ark with him still in it.

Xanatos Gambit: If the police don't stop his plan, then labors (including those in nuclear plants and underground construction sites) run amok and kill thousands. If they do stop it, then the Babylon Project is cripplednote ...until the next movie. Either way, he wins.

An ex-JGSDF lieutenant colonel who went missing after his UN Labor platoon was attacked by armed guerrillas in the Southeast Asian forests, Tsuge plotted terrorist activities in the Greater Tokyo Area under the assumption of a revolt from the ranks of the Self-Defense Forces. His main motive was for the people to see the reality that he had gone through during his UN peacekeeping tour. He has a history with Shinobu.

Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Yes, Shinobu still bears him affection, though it's rather unlikely that they'll ever be an item after he almost starts World War III.

Face–Heel Turn: He went to Cambodia as a peacekeeper. His unit finds itself showered with bullets and he repeatedly asks permission to shoot back, but he's given the OK too late and his unit gets slaughtered. So no, peace didn't work out for him. He then dedicates himself to lift his country's ideological blindfold with terrorism by showing them just how foolish they've become and unsafe they actually are.

May–December Romance: He had an affair with Shinobu (who was 19 at that time), whereas he was in his early 30's.

New Old Flame: Revealed during the events of the second film, as noted by the preceding entry.

The Siege: His actions put the city under martial law and he destroys the communication infrastructure, effectively crippling all law-enforcing organisms. He also destroys the headquarters of the Special Vehicles Unit, making them resort to their old Ingram-98 Labors; this presumably costs the lives of dozens of people.

Start of Darkness: In the prologue of movie 2, a JGSDF labor patrol in Southeast Asia under his command came under attack by anti-UN guerrillas, and is almost completely wiped out, while they're ordered to hold their fire.

Suicide Mission: He was a great proponent of using labors for peacekeeping; this blew up in his face when he led a UN Labor patrol through a humid jungle battlefield, which is pretty much the Labor equivalent of swimming through molasses. As a peacekeeping military commander, he had to ask his superiors for permission to shoot, which he did way too late. He was the only survivor and the loss of his men broke him mentally.

Teacher/Student Romance: Tsuge was Shinobu's instructor, at the time they were together. At the end of the second film, she reluctantly arrests him but it is clear she still had feelings for him.

Your Cheating Heart: The affair created a scandal, because it was a clear breach of police protocol, made worse since he was married at the time. Though it isn't said whether his wife ever learned he was cheating on her with one of his students.

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